Review comments

I am thrilled to be a parent at calabash. The principle is on the ball, the PTA parents are amazing. The teachers are caring and very good. They have a full time librarian, a wonderful science lab, among other things. I really couldn't ask for more! AMAZING school!!

Calabash is a wonderful school. If you read other reviews about the principal being a little intense, it's true she's not warm and fuzzy. But she is nice, capable and she runs a tight ship. I don't need the principal to give me hugs in the morning, i need her to keep the school and teachers running in an orderly fashion and Mrs Gillis does that to a T. The teachers are all very kind and seem to have a genuine love for the kids and what they do. The class sizes are relatively small and the PTA sponsored enrichment programs are great. The parents and students are a really tight knit community and they do everything to make you feel welcome and involved in the schools. I have nothing but praise for this school, the teachers, the administration, the PTA, everything!

If you want your child to go to a school were teachers have no compassion or patience. Were they don't care about bullying or who is really at fault. This is the school to send your children too. This school taught my children to dislike/hate school and not ever want to attend . Makes me as a parent, really sad to see my kids this way.

Calabash is a wonderful school & is truly "the gem of the Valley"! I have 3 girls & my oldest just finished 5th grade & will be going on to middle school in the fall. I cannot begin to say how sad I am for her to leave Calabash! She has loved every day since we moved her from a Las Virgenes school that we were permitting into. Calabash is our home school & I wish we never permitted out of it! My other 2 girls just finished 2nd & 4th grades & also love Calabash!! We have had many of the teachers there & have not had a bad one in the bunch! The small school feeling is wonderful- we know so many people & feel it is like a tight-knit community. The principal runs a tight ship, but is approachable. The school has some wonderful events including a fall festival, trunk or treating, holiday program, multi-cultural festival & an award winning ballroom dancing program for 4th & 5th graders! There are so many opportunities for parental involvement & I have made so many great friends since coming to the school! My 5th grade daughter will certainly miss Calabash & I will continue to value my remaining time at this wonderful gem of a school! I

Calabash is a great school. What matters more than the principal (doesn't have great bedside manner) is the teachers and the families. The kids are challenged yet nurtured. The PTA is active and the small size makes is feel like a community. The kids have the opportunity to participate in computer lab, art programs, YMCA led PE, Drama, Band, science fair and do much more. The principal takes her job seriously and she endures the kids are safe. She is always available to address issues even if you may not agree with her, she will listen and take action.

this post is in reply to the parent that posted "Help!" yesterday...All 3 of my kids have attended Calabash since 2010 & all I can say is that I wish I had found this school sooner! as far as the principal it is just a personality thing (my point of view) she is definitely great from what I see. since I have 3 kids I think I have had encountered nearly every teacher there by now. I have not had any bad experiences with any teacher or any staff member. One of my absolute favorite things about this school is the level of parent involvement! it really is like a small community - we have family movie nights, father daughter dances, mother son events, restaurant nights, festivals, trunk or treat & countless other school events that really bring all the families (if not most) together. just yesterday we had open house where the school cheerleaders performed, we had an Alex's lemonade stand led by one of the families, the 3rd grade classes held a scholar "wax museum" where they dressed & played the part of a scholar they researched & we had the annual science fair with over 200 entries. my kids are definitely receiving a well rounded class A education...hope this helps

Help!! We are trying to decide if Calabash is the right place for our kids. We met the Principal and we are not sure what to think. She seemed a bit rude but I do not want to judge her too hastily. Can any parents out there let me know if this is just a personality thing or if she is hard to approach with issues? I want to give the school a chance but my first impression sort of scared me off a bit. Please advise if you parents out there have any input on this I would love to hear it.

The good: We've had two kids at Calabash since kinder and nearly all their teachers have been EXCELLENT. Many have gone way above and beyond the call of duty. The mediocre: Parent involvement at this school is weak. The PTA is dedicated and there's a small group of parents that volunteer their time but, for the most part, when it comes to fundraising and helping out at school events, most parents want nothing to do with it. The bad: Sergeant Gillis. She does absolutely nothing to create a nurturing, fun environment for the kids to learn in. It's pretty obvious to most of us that she has her sights set on climbing the LAUSD administrative ladder and all of her decisions are motivated by her own personal goals. Having said all this, our kids have received a great education at Calabash, made great friends and our overall experience has been very positive.

WOW! The rebuttal post about the parent who complained about the winter show has just been deleted. So much for free speech! Let me reiterate that the complaint was unwarranted -- this parent should be thanking the principal and administrators for complying with the City of LA Fire Codes. Due to the high enrollment, the auditorium cannot accommodate the large crowds that usually accompany the winter show.